News :: GLBT
What’s next for GLAAD by Sam Baltrusis
EDGE ContributorWednesday Aug 15, 2007 It’s exactly one week after the national release of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Network Responsibility Index and the group’s president, Neil G. Giuliano, is enjoying a few days of downtime in Provincetown, Mass. before suiting up for GLAAD’s next round of initiatives.
"It’s actually a tradition for myself and a bunch of friends to come up to P-town during Carnival week," he says, phoning from his share near Commercial Street. "We’ve rented the same condo for the past seven years and it gives me a chance to unwind before heading back to work."
GLAAD’s inaugural report--intended to serve as a road map of the quantity and quality of images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people on network television by examining all prime-time programming--earned national ink with its straight-forward indictment of the boob tube’s lack of positive portrayals of the LGBT community.
Since its release, the 50-year-old former mayor of Tempe, Ariz. has barely had a chance to come up for air.
"I had lunch with a network president a week and a half ago who thought the report was really insightful and right on target," Giuliano remarks. "I think (network execs) know they have a responsibility to reflect the lives of their viewers. And, from what I’ve heard, they all really appreciated knowing where they stood in a really quantitative way in regard to portraying that diversity."
In an exclusive interview with EDGE, Giuliano weighs in on the impact of GLAAD’s Network Responsibility Index, the significance of the recent presidential debate on LOGO and his plans to spearhead an initiative that will reform the anti-gay biases prevalent in major league sports.
Q: Did you have any angry TV execs contact you about the Network Responsibility Index?
GIULIANO: No, not even from the networks that we gave a fair or failing grade to like NBC and FOX. They both issued statements after we put out the Network Responsibility Index reaffirming their commitment to diversity and stating their desire to improve.
Q: Now that you’ve released the Index, what’s next?
GIULIANO: To sit down with network executives and go from the general to the specific and talk about some of the shows they have and how LGBT representation can be woven into those portrayals and story lines.
Q: Are you saying the networks initially had good intentions and the lack of LGBT portrayals is a result of those good intentions falling through the cracks?
GIULIANO: I wouldn’t go that far. We have to remember that it’s entertainment but it’s also business. They’re making pure business decisions in regards to what’s going to be on television and they have the tough task of deciding what moves from the development phase to the production phase. But there’s a lot of room for improvement.
Q: The Index offered some interesting recommendations for producers to consider--like ABC’s ’Extreme Home Makeover’ featuring a LGBT couple. Has anyone taken you up on these recommendations?
GIULIANO: We’re in preliminary discussions with people in all levels of production, from some of the actors to some of the executive producers to people behind the scenes about how we can move some of these ideas we presented to the next level.
Q: As a former politician, what are your thoughts about how the Democratic presidential candidates handled the ’gay debate’ that aired on LOGO last week? Did it surprise you that the top three candidates refused to endorse gay marriage?
GIULIANO: No, it’s not a surprise. We have to be thankful that they’re even willing to sit down and discuss the issues that directly affect our community. It’s extremely significant and a great step. Sure, it’s disappointing that they’re not going to directly support all of our issues the way some of us would like. But, the idea the candidates going on the record and engaging in dialogue with our community is promising.
Q: What are some of the hot button issues your group is tackling over the next year?
GIULIANO: We’re about to launch the creation of a national sports desk at GLAAD where we’ll take on the issue of homophobia and sports. We’re taking on sports on all levels--from the collegiate level to the professional level and even with amateurs. Kids are coming out earlier and earlier in life and we need to support the infrastructure within a variety of activities to allow for those kids to mature and reach their fullest potential. If someone from the younger LGBT community wants to go into sports or arts, they’ll have our support.
Q: Homophobia in sports--how will GLAAD combat something so engrained within our culture?
GIULIANO: We’ll combat it the same way GLAAD fought homophobia and discrimination in the entertainment industry. We’ll build relationships, talk to people when their portrayals aren’t fair, accurate and inclusive and do whatever it takes to eliminate homophobia and hatred in sports based on sexual orientation.
Q: I guess if you put it into perspective, we have made major progress in the past 20 years.
GIULIANO: There has been tremendous cultural change in the last 10 to 15 years. And it’s only going to continue to change. That’s a lot of the work GLAAD does as the media advocacy and anti-defamation voice of the community. The culture has to change before people go to the ballot box and will vote for our issues.
Q: What’s your response to critics who say that GLAAD perpetuates the gay agenda?
GIULIANO: The only gay agenda that exists is one of fairness and equality for all people. Period.
Sam Baltrusis has worked for WHDH-TV, CW56, MTV, VH1, Seventeen, Newsweek and as a regional stringer for The New York Times. He’s currently a full-time freelance editor/writer based in Boston. Check out his blog at loadedgunboston.blogspot.com.
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